


Who Are You?

by NovaCaelum



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, M/M, Post-Season/Series 04, Season/Series 04, Sexual Themes, Short One Shot, some strong language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 14:24:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16704154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaCaelum/pseuds/NovaCaelum
Summary: Flint just wants to find out the truth behind Silver.





	Who Are You?

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing I wrote over on [Tumblr](http://caelumswriting.tumblr.com/post/180362893364/who-are-you), figured I'd post it here too :)

“I don’t even know who you are.” The words had stung Silver, more than anything else ever would. The walls he’d built, even after seeing through Flint’s, were not yet ready to crumble, so he’d shrugged it off instead.

“I’m John Silver and, as you’ve learned, I’m not a very good cook.” It had been so off-hand, irrelevant, but Silver didn’t realise just how much Flint wanted to dig into his brain.

* * *

Their training sessions only seemed to get harder and Silver had to wonder if Flint was just punishing him for not speaking about his past; Flint had been open and honest, but Silver was just trying to figure out **why** he’d done that. The ulterior motive behind it all and when he fell flat from exhaustion, Flint turned to the horizon, the same words on his lips, “I don’t understand you, what will it take?”

Flint was gone before Silver could even reply, he was left to pull the boot back on, glaring at the sky as if that had been at fault for what had happened. But his mind went back to what Flint had said and what he wanted, it was too much, he didn’t know how to open up.

Their relationship had shifted too, it had been so close and tender, to the point of Flint barely blinking when he saw the remains of Silver’s leg. It had left him breathless, desperate to kiss away the pain etched into Flint’s features but he’d held back and watched all of that wash away, like writing in the sand.

* * *

Maybe Silver would never be truly welcome in Flint’s head, he’d threw up that blockade the second Flint had wanted to pick apart his brain. The past that felt so scattered and far away, something Silver didn’t want to admit, even in the heat of training, he could barely mumble, “I was nobody, until you came across the ship I was on. That’s where my story started, everything before that is meaningless.” Then, the training had continued as normal, Flint didn’t speak a word to him and Silver wasn’t truly surprised by his demeanour. He was a little surprised to have a helping hand, replacing the boot onto his leg, after it was over, until Flint spoke again.

“Your past means more than you may think.” And Silver was left alone on the cliff again, wondering why Flint wanted–- _needed_ to know so much. Silver was nothing, just a drip in a storm.

* * *

“You’re improving,” Silver had a feeling that Flint wasn’t speaking of their training, something glistened in the back of his eyes, like a breakthrough waiting to happen. It made him feel vulnerable and scared, but simultaneously safe, with Flint there to catch him if he stumbled, “I guess we truly could make a great fighter out of you yet, Mr. Silver.”

The words made Silver’s skin prickle, not in a way that comforted him, like Flint was ready to attack for real, “I’ll have to be prepared, after all, I’m not sure you still don’t want to kill me.” Flint smiled, one that Silver couldn’t make sense of, it said so much and so little at the same time; like he was building up a wall again, stepping on eggshells, so Silver didn’t crack beneath his boot. Which is when, after it had been over, they sat together silently on the cliff, kissed like nothing else mattered; the war, Nassau, gold…All forgotten, for a little piece of time.

* * *

“I didn’t lie about my name,” Silver finally spoke after sparring, they were both shirtless and tired. Flint seemed subdued and Silver wanted to open up, just a little, “I used to be able to cook, my mother taught me, over an open flame. Under whatever shelter she had found…But after–-After everything had went to shit,” _After she’d died_ , burning on his tongue, unsaid, “I didn’t bother cooking, I ate whatever scraps I could find and then I joined a merchant ship, didn’t stick around long. I really hate the sea,” _It’s what drowned her. Almost took you, then me…I didn’t want to face that again_. **Oh** , Silver had a lot to say, but it would never come, even if he’d willed it so, fake stories were much easier to spin, after-all, “I’d steal and jump ship, until–-The Walrus, it was convenient at first, then I fucking **depended** on it, on the crew.” _On you_.

“Thank you.” Then they’d kissed again, almost ended up fucking against the rocks, before Flint had dragged them to the sanctuary of a hut.

* * *

_“I will wait, I want you to understand me.”_ Silver could never be honest, it was engraved in his blood to lie, he couldn’t wait a moment longer, not now.

The forest groaned around them, the lifeless body behind Silver was beginning to make him feel sick; not because of the smell or the knowledge of it, but because Flint had killed, for **him** , to save him, _“I don’t even know who you are.”_ For the second time, those words had stung Silver, but more that he could ever understand, because it was true.

 ** _Yes_** , and it had been wrong for Silver to ever assume otherwise. But Flint did know him, Flint was his beginning and maybe even his end, which is why he wanted to kiss him again, why Silver wanted to say the real words he was afraid of. _I love you_. The last words that had taken away his mother, left him alone, until Flint lit up his life; Silver felt reminded of the storm which had them stranded, when the shark had blessed them and wind came…Flint was all that and more, _You know all of me._ But Flint would never hear those words, because Silver didn’t say them until he was gone, beyond the gates of the plantation. A wall that Silver could never pass, no matter how hard he tried. Because Flint was safe there, with Thomas, the man he loved; the man Silver could never be.


End file.
